In their view

Published: April 11, 2014 9:00AM

When looking at the political climate over at least the past 20 years, it is difficult to say that special interest groups have not had an impact on the outcomes of various races at the national and state level.

This took another step ... when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to change the limits on contributions made to candidates at a federal level, parties and political action committees (PACs).

In the long-term outlook, this decision is troubling and could ultimately promote the agenda of a few more than the whole.

In the short-term, the ruling should not have an immediate impact on Ohio unless the current state laws are changed unexpectedly, but this sets up an interesting proposition for state lawmakers the next time they sit down to look at contribution limits.

The current Ohio contribution limits will be in place until February 2015. One could view this as a win for those on the right, but make no mistake those on both sides will use this decision to their full advantage.

It is important for everyone to have free speech and the ability to voice their opinions, but no one's voice, especially those coming in with an outside interest or large wallets, should have a louder voice than other citizens of the United States or a particular state.

Unfortunately, all this does in the end is continue diminishing the overall confidence citizens have in lawmakers, the government and the political process.